Focus on Health

A West Chester community support groups for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will hold a picnic on Saturday, Sept. 28, for those affected by the disease. The S’myelin MS event is in honor of the late Michalisa Marshall Pugh, who specialized in representing children with special needs and their parents. She also had MS, a disease that destroys the myelin sheath that insulates our cells and permits nerve impulses to get to where they need to go. The result can be a little like turning building lights off one at a time.

If you have MS and want to attend the S’myelin picnic, contact Joan Hall to at 610-696-7788 or rochallwyn@msn.com for more information.

S’myelin has a regular multiple sclerosis support meeting open to all with MS at ACAC on Greenhill Road in West Chester the first Wednesday of each month from 1 to 2:30 p.m. MS exercise classes are also available. You can get additional information by calling ACAC at 610-431-7000 or online at www.smyelin.info.

Good health and happiness for women 13 years and older is the focus of “Destination: Healthy Women,” Brandywine Hospital’s next Healthy Woman program on Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Freedom Village, 15 Freedom Boulevard, West Brandywine.

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The free event will explore important topics that may impact women at various stages of life. These include: Social Media, Body Distortion and Eating Disorders; Hormonal Changes & Misconceptions from PMS through Menopause; Keeping (Portion) Control; Warning! The Hazards of Eye Makeup; and Life is a Journey, a motivational and inspirational discussion. Representatives from Freedom Village, a continuing care retirement community, will also be on hand for tours.

Open to women—and men—of all ages, it is designed to empower women, particularly those age 25 to 54, with the knowledge and confidence to make informed healthcare and well-being decisions for themselves and their loved ones. Members enjoy educational and fun events covering a wide variety of topics.

For more information about “Destination: Healthy Women” or to register for the free program, visit BrandywineHospital.com/HealthyWoman.

Donating blood is very safe and only takes about 10 minutes. (Plus you get free cookies at the end.) As if donating blood to save a life isn’t enough motivation, Natural Lands Trust will plant 10 trees for every pint of blood collected during this blood drive.

Healthy people aged 16 or older and weighing at least 110 pounds can donate blood every eight weeks.

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged and can be done online quickly and easily. Visit www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation and type “ChesLen” in to the “sponsor code” box to do so.

The Coatesville VA Medical Center will offer regular clinic hours on Saturdays from 8a.m. to noon and on Wednesday evenings through 7:30p.m. Veterans can now choose these times, in addition to normal business hours, to access outpatient VA mental health, and primary care, as well as diagnostic services including laboratory and radiology.

Veterans who are currently VA patients can simply schedule their next appointment during the extended hours if they desire. Veterans who are not enrolled in VA health care can check on their eligibility, and enroll by calling the Eligibility and Enrollment Office at 610-384-7711 extensions 5008 or 5034, or by visiting www.coatesville.va.gov for more information.